The present invention is a computer-based method and system for ascertaining whether multiple radios available for connection to a mobile computing device are associated with a single wireless device.
Mobile computing devices, such as laptop computers, personal data assistants (PDAs), and pocket computers, are commonly transported from location to location. Such mobile computing devices are increasingly provided with wireless networking capabilities, allowing the mobile computing devices to look for and connect to wireless devices and networks as they are transported from location to location. For example, a user can carry a laptop computer into a new environment, access a local network, and then move files between computing devices or print to available network printers. However, there remain some barriers to efficient operation of mobile computing devices as they transition from one location to another.
For instance, many wireless devices have more than one radio for communication. Each radio can uniquely identify itself with respect to the wireless medium over which it communicates. For example, a Bluetooth® radio has a unique identifier (i.e., the BD_ADDR), so two different Bluetooth® radios can never be confused. (Bluetooth® is a registered trademark of Bluetooth Sig, Inc. of Bellevue, Wash.) However, suppose that a mobile computing device, such as a laptop computer, has a Bluetooth® radio and an 802.11 radio, and that the laptop computer is in a location where it can connect to a wireless device, such as a printer, that also has a Bluetooth® radio and an 802.11 radio. When the laptop computer identifies wireless devices available for connection in the location, it should locate and identify the Bluetooth® connection between itself and the printer, and it should also locate and identify the 802.11 connection between itself and the printer. Each radio on the printer should have a unique identifier, such as the BD_ADDR for the Bluetooth® radio, but each such identifier is specific to the wireless medium. Therefore, the laptop computer will recognize and “see” two separate printers—one associated with the Bluetooth® radio and one associated with the 802.11 radio. However, there is no way to ascertain that the two radios available for connection to the laptop computer are associated with the same printer.